Autumn Nature Crafts for Kids

There are so many natural materials that can be used for discovery and crafting in the fall, such as leaves (of all colors shapes and sizes), sections of a sanded tree limb, sticks, acorns, pine cones, pumpkin seeds, apples, and many more.

One of my favorite things to do in autumn is to go on a nature walk after the leaves change color. Go to a park (or maybe just your backyard) and see how many vocabulary-building adjectives they can use to describe all the different kids of leaves and trees that they see. Young children are usually fascinated with these things before we even ask questions. Have them make (and draw) predictions of the ways the trees are going to look in a few weeks or months.

A few Blooming Kids Crafts for your budding nature lovers:

Story Time: Have them tell a story about the items they have seen and/or collected outside on a nature hunt. If you have the time, write down the story as they tell it.* Encourage them to let their imagination go wild. The more we encourage our kids (especially at a young age) to tell stories, the faster they build vocabulary, acquire listening & reading comprehension, and generally become more creative thinkers.

*Note: As you are listening / writing, try not to "correct" the parts of the story that may be scientifically incorrect or even seem like nonsense to you. In later days they will have the opportunity to learn all of these things. In this moment allow them a stress free zone to create and have the confidence to present their own story in their own words.

Drawings: Another activity that has been shown to accelerate language and reading comprehension is drawing. Simple, right? Have the child draw a picture of the leaves. Again, their drawing may look nothing like leaves, acorns or pine cones that inspired it. However it is wonderful to see and hear their perceptions of them. Ask them about what they have drawn. Compare these drawings over a number of months (or even years). You will see how much your child has grown.

Leaf Sewing: This is one of the many great ideas for improving fine motor skills I am borrowing from Angie's preschool teacher. Have your child use a small hole punch to punch holes in leaves they have collected. They can then use a very thin stick to weave through the holes (hopefully without ripping the leaf).

Make a Wreath: Someone recently told me that when her kids were young, she would have them each gather a basket of leaves and bring them inside to construct a wreath. I'm assuming she checked these baskets for bugs, dirt, etc before they came into the house. I personally have never done this, but you can find moderately easy instructions for a similar craft here.

Leaf Rub: We can't leave out the leaf rub! A very popular autumn craft for kids is of course the leaf rub. Have your child pick out their favorite leaf, place it on a flat surface. Place a slightly larger piece of paper over top. Then give them a crayon with no paper wrapper, held parallel to the paper and tell them to gently rub back and forth until you can basically see the main (and maybe lesser) veins of the leaf. Chat about the similarities and differences with human veins, etc.

Make an Observation Journal: If you really want to go the distance, I suggest making an observation journal where you can store any stories and drawings they have completed. This idea was inspired by the show "Sid the Science Kid" and may work better with the younger ones (3-6 years old). You will see the most growth in their drawings and stories and these children are less likely to consider this as dreaded "homework." Really all this involves is a 3 ring binder with the title: "Sammy's Observation Journal." OK, you could probably think of a better name, but you get the point.

Enjoy!I hope we all make the time to do some outdoor exploring with our children, before the cold winds rush us inside again. As I said, don't make these crafts into some sort of "homework" that will stress your children (or you!) out. Autumn is such a wonderful time to go outside and rejoice in God's creation. He has given us so many colors, textures, shapes, sizes, smells, sounds, and tastes. It is a wonderful thing to watch your kids discover it all. Happy Harvest!

Lastly, here are some things that I know I don't need to mention: Make sure you check children and outdoor items for bugs such as tics, especially after playing in a heavily wooded area. Keep sharp sticks, etc away from little hands that are not old enough to be handling such things. As always, use your common sense when it comes to little children and potential outdoor (or indoor) choking, etc hazards. Sorry, it had to be said. Thanks for listening! :)